Bitter-Sweet “Anti-Tide” Struggles in Kate Chopin’

    Kate Chopin’s novel The Awakening has aroused many readers’ attention for its remarkable “ideas of feminism”. It has shown us various battles of a woman in her life. I agree with some critics that there are mainly 3 types of struggles---Woman VS Man, Woman VS Society, and Woman VS Herself.But when I reread the “SEA” symbol, I soon related it to Edna’s barriers.Men, women and society…all these can be considered as TIDES in the sea. And Edna, is the “anti-tide” hero.
    1. Woman VS Men(1st tide). Edna Pontellier does not only struggle against ONE man, which is said to be her husband. The first man Edna fights against is her father---She soon married Leonce with no proper reasons;she refuses to attend her sister’s wedding…Then Leonce, Throughout the story, Edna is in a constant battle with her husband. She rejects what her husband says, going against the belief that the man is always right and has the final say in every decision.As for Arobin, it is interesting that she seems to be “teasing” him instead of “being teased”. But which is the most important is that she’s even against Robert.Though she loves him so much, she says to him, “If you propose to me, I will laugh at you both!” That’s something against Robert’s will, for he is still traditional in his bones and cannot understand Edna’s real meaning. There isn’t a single man in the novel totally on Edna’s side.
    2. Woman VS Society(2nd tide). Edna constantly challenges the role that society has laid out for her. She rejects motherhood, marriage, the expected social etiquette, and a monogamous relationship.She cancels the Tuesday meetings, escapes from a religious service, and she has an affair with a much younger man while she is married with children. While Leonce is away, she even decides to buy a pigeon house without his permission. All of these behaviors were not expected of a woman of her class, and were looked down upon. Yet Edna refuses to conform to what society wants and goes in her own way. The society is not at all on Edna’s side.

    3. Woman VS women(3rd tide). First of all, Edna is struggling against herself. Her life is in a state of confusion, and she is “wandering through life without a clue.” She can be very happy at one moment but quickly scream at another.She is often in self-disapproval and does not really know what she wants most. Secondly, she is different from either Adele or Mademoiselle Reisz.She doesn't like Adele’s lifestyle, but nor does she adore Reisz’s.She is fighting very painfully against both Adele’s routinism and Reisz’s hermitship. Maybe only when a person has either everything or nothing will heshe be brave enough to survive on?This is a hard question for Edna.Throughout the whole novel, there is also not a single woman on Edna’s side(if she knows which side she is on).

    I think now we can understand why Edna’s moved by the music she calls “Solitude”. Nothing is on her side!She is the only “awakening” hero in the battle but she has to deal with too many struggles.As a result, she makes her last vain try in the sea--- TO SWIM AGAINST THE TIDES’ DIRECTION. (Though in another perspective, she finally finds where she belongs). Chopin herself might be “anti-tide” during Victorian times, yet sometimes when you face too many struggles, you can struggle no more.---Just like when you have too many choices, you’ll have no choice. She might have had some same hard decisions in her writing, and couldn’t clearly denote what Edna should do at last.
    I guess that’s why her hero Edna Pontellier is not so “coherent” in some readers’ eyes, and why her The Awakening is considered a “Very Good” but not “Great” novel.